Bars of Georgia, Baltic States and the CIS Countries Discuss Challenges of Legal Profession

Tbilisi is hosting an International Conference of Bars of Georgia, Baltic States and the CIS Countries “Challenges of Modern Legal Profession”.

The two-day event opened on May 12, 2017, with welcome remarks from the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, and Georgian Parliament Chairperson, Irakli Kobakhidze.

Organised by the Georgian Bar Association (GBA), the conference brings together representatives of the nine European Bar Associations and members of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE).

The event is supported by the Council of Europe, European Union, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the USAID Project “Promoting Rule of Law in Georgia” implemented by the East-West Management Institute (EWMI/PROLoG).

Niels Scott, Head of UNDP in Georgia; Maria Slazak, Vice-President of the Council of Bars and Law Societies in Europe (CCBE) PECO committee;Peter Danis, Manager of Justice Programme of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia;Giorgi Chkheidze, Chief of Party of the EWMI/PROLoG; and Zaza Khatiashvili, Chairperson of the Georgian Bar Association, addressed the participants at the opening session.  

The two-day conference will discuss a range of issues related to the challenges of legal profession, such as the constitutional guarantees and exclusiveness of legal practice, international guarantees for the operation of the Bar, rights and professional freedoms of lawyers, entry into the legal profession and standards of education. Lawyers from different countries will share experience of cross-border litigation and data protection, and will discuss the impact of social networks and media on the legal practice.